Sisterhood Spotlight

How long have you been involved in the fight against human trafficking, and can you give us a summary of all you’ve done?

I’ve been a part of the fight to eradicate human trafficking for 20 years. I’ve served in a number of ways – most recently in the Attorney General of Virginia’s office, as well as Governor Youngkin’s Commission on Human Trafficking Prevention and Survivor Support. I’ve also served in the U.S. government, as part of the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking and as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of State. I also serve on related boards and organizations and in my own community.

Can you share about the personal experience that led to your involvement in the space?

Being a survivor of human trafficking is what led me into this space. I told my story of being prostituted to a close friend of mine while I was working at a crisis pregnancy center as a director. She shared with me that she had recently heard about trafficked persons and believed my story fit. She then proceeded to connect me with a group who was doing some awareness work on this issue. This was 20 years ago now.

I went to an event they were doing and knew immediately that this was what I was called to do. I had done advocacy work on many issues like HIV/AIDS, and pregnancy center (pro-life) work, but I knew in an instant that this was life-changing for me, to take my own life experiences and create change for the most vulnerable among us.

As a human trafficking survivor and advocate, what would you like to say to Virginians?

As much as we push identification of trafficking within our state, it is even more crucial to focus on education. There are many citizens who do not believe that human trafficking happens so close to home. Many of these same people work in our agencies, including direct service provision, and are uneducated about the crime.

We need to be diligent in our understanding of the issue and do away with mindsets we have held onto about who is selling and buying sex and cheap labor. Demand drives the issue.

Purchasing humans should never have existed, and we find ourselves where we are still allowing this. Children and adults are being forced or coerced to sell themselves or forced to work for little or no pay in our Commonwealth. Together, with the right mindset and resources, we can end slavery for good.

How can Virginians identify when someone needs help? What should a person do if they suspect someone is being abused or trafficked, and what resources are available?

If you see something suspicious and want to report a TIP (Trafficking in Persons), please call #77 Virginia State Police. If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline for services at 1-888-373-7888.

About Tanya Gould:

Tanya Gould is a solutionist fighting against human trafficking, striving to impact legislative policy and raise public awareness. She is the Anti-Human Trafficking Director for the Attorney General of Virginia and served on the Governor’s Commission on Human Trafficking Prevention and Survivor Support. Tanya recently has been appointed to the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) International Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Council (ISTAC).

In 2022, Tanya received the Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking in Persons. She served two terms on the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking.

Tanya has given lectures and training at universities and has been interviewed on an array of podcasts, articles and PSAs. She also co-produced a documentary short film titled Groomed (her daughter wrote, arranged and performed all the songs on the film).

Tanya has served as keynote speaker at anti-human trafficking conferences and worked with faith communities to raise awareness both nationally and abroad. She has served as a consultant to various anti-human trafficking organizations, as well as U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime; U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign; Global Strategic Operatives for the Eradication of Human Trafficking, Inc.; and U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) office. She also serves on boards and organizations such as Polaris, Beloved Haven and Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum Task Force on Human Trafficking. 

Tanya Gould also serves her community as needed. She served the city of Portsmouth as a Museum and Fine Arts Commissioner, started an after-school program and co-led the yearly Cradock Festival. Tanya also served families and their preborn at crisis pregnancy centers in Virginia. In 2021, Tanya was a candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates District 21 race.

In 2023, Tanya received the Attorney General Alliance Sword and Shield Award. She also had the honor of attending, on behalf of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the 11^th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime as an official member of the U.S. delegation.